Estimating the Spatial Average of Breast Tissue Permittivity Using Single- and Multiple-Channel Transmission Measurements for Patient-Specific Microwave Hyperthermia Beamformer Design

We use anatomically realistic numerical breast phantoms to investigate the performance of a method to estimate the spatially averaged permittivity of breast tissue using an antenna array configuration suitable for noninvasive microwave hyperthermia treatment. We demonstrate the accuracy of estimating the permittivity from single- and multiple-channel transmission measurements. The spatially averaged permittivity data can be used to design patient-specific microwave beamformers for hyperthermia treatment.